The FDA finds cyclospora on Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce farm in central Mexico. The outbreak is over, as is the investigation into the outbreak. The agency is continuing post-outbreak response activities.
Traceback identified several farms and a processing facility in Mexico that provided the recalled lettuce distributed by Taylor Fresh Foods. Onsite inspections were conducted and samples collected at the grower’s farms as well as the processing facility. They sampled water, soil, sediment, and the lettuce itself.
One positive sample was taken from a tank that held outgoing wastewater from the Taylor Farms de Mexico processing facility. The second positive sample was collected from a drainage ditch of a grower identified in the investigation.
Genotyping using whole genome sequencing of the samples has been completed. FDA officials are analyzing the results to see how they relate to ongoing genotyping of clinical specimens.
There is not enough evidence to conclusively determine how the contamination occurred, but the positive samples show that cyclospora parasites were present in the environment where the iceberg lettuce was grown and processed. This adds to the strong epidemiological and traceback data supporting the link between the outbreak and recalled Taylor Farms shredded lettuce.
The FDA is confident that all recalled iceberg lettuce linked to this outbreak is off the market. The last illness onset date was August 2, 2026.
In that outbreak, there were 12,833 people sick from 21 states. There were 570 people hospitalized because they were so sick, and two people who lived in Michigan died. The lettuce was sold at Taco Bell restaurants, Walmart, Subway, Jack in the Box, and other restaurants and retailers.
